1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to position latch devices and, more particularly, to a position latch device for use with clamping devices and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Battery jumper cable clamps are used to attach the jumper cables to the terminals of a battery. The clamps presently used suffer from a number of disadvantages. Battery clamps are generally comprised of two elongated gripping handles pivotally joined at a central portion to provide a pair of gripping jaws at a front end thereof. Most commonly, the gripping jaws are biased by the pivot mechanism to a normally closed position. Consequently, in order for the clamp to be placed onto a battery post or terminal, the clamp handles must be loaded, by pressing them together, by a force sufficient to overcome the biasing force of the pivot mechanism. Because the pivot biasing force is usually quite large to insure a solid grip by the gripping jaws on the battery terminal, the continuous loading force that must be applied to overcome such biasing force is often too great for some users, specifically those with weak hands, including children and those with an arthritic condition. This is particularly true when the battery terminal is set deep in the engine compartment where two hand loading is often not possible and it is difficult or awkward for a user to maintain a loading force on the compressed handles long enough to position the open jaws over the battery post.
Thus, there is a need for a battery clamp having a position latch device which would allow the clamp to be held open without a continuous loading (squeezing) force on the clamp handles.